Born and raised in North Bay, Ryen Veldhuis returned after completing his post-secondary studies at Laurentian University to pursue his professional development in the summer of 2015.

With nearly five years of experience working in the field of media, as well as his educational background in rhetoric and media studies and communication studies, Ryen made the decision to launch his own local news media company, NorthBayNow.ca.

From there, he built his company, website, contacts, and media strategy, quickly becoming, for many citizens of North Bay, their go-to website for up-to-date local news. Frequent comments praised his commitment around the clock, his resourcefulness, and ability to compete with significantly fewer resources and people at his disposal.

Proof of his success and determination came within six months of an operational website, with monthly views exceeding 200,000 across the region, with readers seeking content from local news, to arts and culture, to sports and so much more.

It was then that Ryen, upon receiving several offers, sold the company and promptly joined BayToday.ca to continue servicing the community in the best way he could—telling the stories of the people who live here. A storyteller at heart, he’s truly at home interviewing and photographing to share the stories of the people he meets.

Ryen has always demonstrated a strong will and determination to move forward and share his vision people of the community, often being praised for his commitment to his hometown by citizens and community leaders alike.

With deep experience and knowledge of media, he is often consulted by other professionals for his expertise in digital marketing, writing, photography, and public speaking.

Despite being active in town for less than a year, Ryen has had a significant impact within North Bay across a wide variety of communities, and he continues to strive to better impact the lives of his neighbours in the future.